Launching torpedoes.



G. 0'. DAVISON. LAUNGHING TORPBDOES.

lpeogsflggsD APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1910. Patented 30,

2 SHEBTSSHBET 1.

G. C. DAVISON.

LAUNGHING TORPEDOES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1910.

Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHB ET 2.

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WITNESSES: Wm

GREGORY C. DAVISON, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAUNCHING TORPEDOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Application filed September 20, 1910. Serial No. 582,918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GREGORY C. -DAVISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, Massachusetts, and having a postofiice address care of Electric Boat Company, Quincy, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Launching clare the following to be a' full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertai'ns' to make and use the same.

This invention relates to means for launching torpedoes from tubes on submarine torpedo boats or elsewhere, through the agency of compressed air or other motive fluid and its object is to provide such mechanism which is capable of launching the torpedo more quickly and with greater certainty and safety than has heretofore been possible.

The construction of torpedoes of the ordinary.self-propelled type is such thin shell of the after body will'withstand only a comparatively small pressure, about fifty pounds per square inch. It has heretofore been the custom, in launching such torpedoes b means'of compressed air or other motive ti ilid, to provide a storage reservoir for the compressed air, of such capacity that, when a valve between the reservoir and the torpedo .tube is opened, the air passes from the reservoir into the tube back of the torpedo, so that the tdrpedois directly exposed to the pressure of the air, and is forced out of the tube by thatpressure. In such an arrangement the pressure in the reservoir and the tube quicky equalizes, or nearly equalizes, and then falls rapidly as the torpedo moves forward. This procedure has the advantage that the pressure of the air is applied directly to the torpedo without thenecessity for interposing any movable part between .the torpedo and the airpressure, but it is subject to the disadvantages @that it requires a large low pressure reservoir, as distinguished from a small high pressure reservoir, since the reservoir pressure must be restricted to about fifty pounds, and the speed of the launching is limited by the fact that the highest pressure is maintained only for an instant at the start of the launching operation.

In accordance with the present invention the pressure is admitted to'the torpedo tube under controlled conditions suchthat the Torpedoes; and I do hereby depedo tube,

that the pressure on the torpedo is substantially maintained through the greater part of the forward movement of the torpedo, and yet itis definitely limited so that the torpedo is at no time subjected to a dangerous pressure. This result is accomplished by interposing between the air reservoir and the inlet to the torpedo tube a pressure control valve responsive ,to the pressure 'within the tube and adapted to prevent that pressure from exceeding a predetermined maximum, and to maintain it substantially uniform.

The particular nature of the invention will best be understood by considering the preferred embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which will now be described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing the rear end of the torits inlet passage, and the pressure controlling valve in section, and the air reservoir and connections and the actuating mechanism in elevation; Fig. 2is a section on a larger scale of the pressure controlling valve; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation of an actuating valve which may conveniently be employed for actuating and controlling the pressure control valve; and Fig. 4 is a curve sheet illustrating the comparative operation of the old method and the new.

The inboard end of the torpedo discharge tube 1, and the rear end of the torpedo 23 are indicated -in a somewhat diagrammatic manner, the torpedo tube having an inlet passage 2 at the mouth of which is located the pressure control valve 3 which is in communication withthe pipe 4 leading from the air reservoir'5 and containing the valve 6. The pressure control valve is made up of a cylindrical casing attached to the inlet end of the pipe 2 as shown and into which is tapped the end of the air pipe 4. At about the center of thevalve chamber is .located a spider 7 carrying a guide tube 8 for the stem 9 of the main valve 10, whichseats against the reduced open end of the valve casing, and moves within the pipe 2. Fastened to the stem 9 and moving within the rear end of the casing is the compensating piston 11, and a coil spring 12 surrounds the stem 9'between the spider and the compensating piston and tends to hold the main valve 10 to its seat. The extreme rear end of the stem 9 projects into a reduced extensmall pipe 16 which is led to sion 13 of the head of the valve casing, and on this extended portion of the-stem is a regulating piston 14, the space within the valve casing between the regulating and compensating mosphere through ports 15. Tapped into the extreme end of the extension 13 is a the actuating valve 17, which may be placed in any convenient position on the vessel such as a discharge station from which the target may be observed. Such a station is usually located' at the periscope in a submarine boat and on the bridge of a surface torpedo boat. The actuating valve 17 is in communication with a source of constant pressure through the pipe 18. This valve may be of any suitable construction for establishing and discontinuing communication with the source of constant pressure at will. A convenient form is illustrated in detail in Fig. 3, from which it will be seen that the pipes 16 and 18 are tapped into the valve casing, which contains a piston valve 19 which is normally pressed by the spring 20 into the closed position, but which may be forced to the'open position by manipulation of the handle 21 to which the valve stem 22 is pivoted.

The operation of the device is as follows: Let it be. assumed that the torpedo has been loaded 5 is filled with compressed air, or other motive fluid at any high pressure desired. The reservoir may be very small with a pressure of several thousand, pounds. After the stop valve 6 is opened the torpedo is ready to be launched by a manipulation of the handle 21 at the control station. The area of themain valve 10, so far as it is exposed to the pressure. within the valve chamber, is substantially equal to that of the compensating piston 11, so that the reservoir pressure acting inside'of the valve casing is substantially balanced on these two areas. npractice it is advisable to make the area of the valve 10 slightly lessthan that of the compensating piston 11, to assist in keeping the valve 10 onits seat before firing, but so far as the operation of the device in launching is concerned, these two areas may be considered practically equal so that variations in pressure in the reservoir as the air is withdrawn therefrom have no tendency to move the valve 10. The spring 12 also assists in keeping the valve 10 on its seat.

en air at constant pressure is admitted at the back of the actuating piston 14, by the manipulation of the handle 21, it causes the piston 14 to move forward carrying with it the valve stem and the main valve 10. As soon as the main valve 10 opens, air from the reservoir rushes into the torpedo tube until the pressure within the tube acting on the area of valve 10, balances the constant pressure on the piston 14. By this means pistons being open to the at-v into the tube and that the reservoir assoon as the pressure-in the tube tends to fall the pressure on the piston 14 further opens valve-10, while if the pressure in the tube rises, which would occur if the torpedo stuck in the dischar e tube, the b'ack pressure on valve 10 'tend s to close it.

It willbe observed that with the specific arrangement illustrated and described the uniform pressure to be applied to the torpedo for launching it may be conveniently applied by an operator at the distant point where the actuating valve 17 is located, and may be fixed at any desired valve by appropriately selecting the pressure'controlled by the said valve 17 v e In the curve sheet of Fig. 4 the abscissas represent the time of discharge in tenths of seconds and the ordinates represent the pressure within the discharge tube.- The dot-ted line curve shows the pressure in the old method and the full line curve the pressure in the new method. In this case the time 'of launching is s pposed to be of the same duration in both cases. The curvesare-made from actual tests, and in the case of the old method thepres'sure was fifty pounds, while in the new method, the actuating valve was connected to 'a constant source of pressure such that the main valve 10. would close attwe'nt-y pounds. in the first case the pressure in the tube rose in one-twentieth of a second to about fortynine pounds and fell rapidly in the next eleven-twentieths of a second. The result was substantially to impart a thrust to the torpedo by the application of the maximum pressure .at the instant of starting. This is the most unfavorable condition because the starting pressure is limited by the strength of the shell of the torpedo and the delicate mechanism of the torpedo is likely to be jarred and thereby injured by such a thrust. In the second case the pressure within the discharge tube rose to nearly nineteen pounds in the first one-twentieth of a sec ond and to twenty pounds by the end of, the firstone-tenth of a second, and'this pressure was maintained substantially uniformfor vfive-twentieths of a second, falling at first slowly and then rapidly to zero at the end of six-tenths of a second. The advantages of such a uniform application of pressure will readily be appreciated from what has been said above. Furthermore. it will be understood that in this case the pressure was so selected that the time of launching was the same for both cases, 2'. e., sixstenths of a second. Since, however, the torpedo will withstand considerably more than twenty pounds pressure, it fis possible,'in carrying out the present invention, by so calculating the parts that the valve 10 will close only under a. higher pressure, which It, will be observed that within the launching tube about the torpedo, in combination/with pressure controlling apparatus in said conduit for limiting the pressure on the torpedo and maintaining it substantially uniform as the torpedo moves forward in the launching tube.

2. In torpe do launching apparatus, a

launching tube, a reservoir for motive fluid under pressure, and a conduit for the motive fluid from the reservoir-to the space within the launching tube about the torpedo, in combination with a balanced valve controlling said conduit and so arranged that the pressure in the launching tube tends to close it, and means for applying a uniform predetermined pressure to force the valve into the open position, whereby the pressure on the torpedo is limited and maintained substantially uniform as the torpedo moves forward in the launching tube.

3. In torpedo launching apparatus, a

launching tube, a reservoir for motive fluid under pressure and a conduit for the motive fluid from the reservoir to the space within the launching tube about the torpedo, in combination with a balanced valve so arranged that the pressure in the launching tube tends to seat it, an actuating piston and cylinder, a conduit and conduit-controlling valve for admitting a uniform predetermined pressure to the actuating cylinder, and connections whereby the pressure so applied tends to unseat the balanced valve, whereby the pressure on the torpedo is limited and maintained substantially uniform as the torpedo moves forward-in the launching tube. f

4. In totpedo launching apparatus, a launching tube, a reservoir for motive fluid under pressure, and a conduit for the motive fluid from the reservoir to the space within the launching tube about the torpedo, in combination with a valve casing interposed in the conduit, a pressure controlling valve for the outlet from the casing to the launchunder pressure,

1 ing valve for ing tube so arranged that the pressure in the launching tube tends to seat the valve, a compensating piston within the casing and connected to the pressure controlling valve to balance it, an actuating piston an cylinder, a conduit and conduit-controlling valve for admitting a. uniform predetermined pressure to the actuating cylinder, and connections whereby the pressure so applied-tends to unseat the balanced valve, whereby the pressure on the torpedo is limited and maintained substantially uniform as the torpedo moves forward in the launching tube.

5. In torpedo launching apparatus, a

a reservoir for motive fluid and a conduit for the motive fluid from the reservoir to the space, within the launching tube about the torpedo, in combination with a, valve casing interposed in the conduit, a pressure controlling valve for the outlet from the casing to the launching tube so arranged that the pressure in the launching tube tends to seat the valve, a compensating piston within the casing and connectedto the pressure controlling-valve to balance it, an actuatingpiston and cylinder, a conduit and conduit-controlling valve for admitting auniform predetermined pressure to the actuating cylinder, connections whereby the pressure so applied tends to unseat the balanced valve, and a spring normally seating said valve when the unseating pressure is Withdrawn.

6. The combination with a torpedo tube and a torpedo ada ted to be launched therefrom, of a supp y of motive fluid for discharging said torpedo, a pressure reduccontrolling the supply of said fluid, means for actuating said valve for initiating the supply of motive fluid, and automatic means for opening and closing said valve in accordance with the pressure on said torpedo during the launching period, whereby the pressure on the torpedo is limited and maintained substantially uniform as the torpedo moves forward in the launching tube. i

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GREGORY 'C. DAVISON.

launching tube,

Witnesses:

F. L. BRAKE, G. D. Yormo. 

